Repair the cracked glass face of an Apple iPhone 3G

Poor little iPhone

When TechRepublic Cracked Open the Apple iPhone 3G we accidently put a small crack in the glass face. After awhile, the small crack became a big one bisecting the entire screen. The staff looked upon that crack as mark of dishonor and we decided fix it and record the process in a Photo Gallery.

Replacement glass

Remember the screws

Here is what got us in trouble during the Cracking Open - the two screws on the bottom of the iPhone. Trying to remove the display portion of the iPhone without removing the screws is asking for trouble.

About 1 week later

Okay so this image shows the glass face plate removed from its plastic frame. What it does not show you is the week of frustration that came before. The glass is glued to the plastic and could only be separated by applying heat to the glued parts.

Close examination

The folks at iFixIt suggest using double-sided tape to hold the new face plate in position. The red arrows mark the corners where the original glue substance was applied and where I will apply double-sided tape.

Double-sided tape

Not so fast my friend

While the double-sided tape held the glass face plate in place temporarily, one of the corners kept separating. The slight warping of the plastic frame created torque forces that the tape could not overcome. Thus enter the large binder clip.

Large binder clip

I used large binder clips on each corner of the display and held them in place over a weekend. This worked (to my surprise) and I was able to reattach the LCD screen and reconnect the entire display to the other half of the iPhone.

It's alive again

And after a reset of the software, the TechRepublic Apple iPhone 3G is once again operational. Now, I would suggest it be handled carefully because I am not convinced that the double-sided tape will hold through rough treatment.

So we successfully repaired the cracked glass face plate on our iPhone 3G. But I would not and will not recommend anyone do this repair on an iPhone they actually intend to use. It is not worth the time or trouble. I suggest phone insurance and a simple replacement.

About Mark Kaelin

Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the IT industry, gadgets, finance, accounting, and tech-life for more than 25 years. Most recently, he has been a regular contributor to BreakingModern.com, aNewDomain.net, and TechRepublic.

Full Bio

Mark W. Kaelin has been writing and editing stories about the IT industry, gadgets, finance, accounting, and tech-life for more than 25 years. Most recently, he has been a regular contributor to BreakingModern.com, aNewDomain.net, and TechRepublic.